If justice delayed is justice denied, what of justice that takes place behind closed doors, with written appeals from vulnerable and elderly people left unread? An Evening Standard investigation has revealed the devastating impact of the single justice procedure (SJP), the fast-track court system used for low-level offences such as TV license prosecutions and not paying car tax.
Defendants can write to the court after being charged to explain any extenuating circumstances, such as illness, impoverishment or caring responsibilities. Yet these are often not even looked at by prosecutors who have the power to withdraw a case that is not in the public interest.
